Tag making and printing machine



March 18 1924.

c. A. MoNsoN ET AL' TAG MAKING AND PRI-NT1NG MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet l 1 War?" Fi'led Feb. 14

C. L MONSON ET AL TAG MAKING AND PRINTING MACHINE March 18 1924. v1,487,350

Filed Feb. 14 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I Harry @earring/- TZeer lfornq Mardi 18. 1924. l

c. A. MONSON ET AL TAG MAKING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed' Feb. 14

1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 7265? /I 7- Taf/my.

March 18 1924.'l 1,487,350

C. A. `MoNsoN ET Al.

TAG MAKING AND PliIlJTINC MACHINE F'ied Feb. 14, 1920 7 sheets-sheet ,4

March 1s 1924.

C. A. MONSON ET AL TAG MAKING. AND PRINTING MACHINE 7. sheets-sheet Filed Fxeb. 14 1920 C'a: r? /Won son.

Harry Gearzny).

Iii/fm. A Toen/fx MarchI 18 1924.

c. A. MQNSON ET AL TAG MAKING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14 1920 -TSheets-Sheet 6 March y C, A. MONSON ET AL TAG .MAKING AND PRINTING MACHINE :filedV Feb. 14, 1920 7 sheets-Sheet 'z Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT f OFFICE.

CARL A. MONSON AND HARRY GEAR/ING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 HADLEY TAG- & IJIACHINE C0., OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

y 'rnc MAKING AND PRINTNG MACHTNE.

Application led Februan1 14, 19,20. Serial No. 358,746.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, CARL A. MoNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and HARRY GEARTNG, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tag Making and Printing Machines, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to tag making and printing machines,'that is to machines for forming, printing and discharging identifi.

cation, shipping and similar tags, which, in the `operation of the machine, in the performance of its several functions in sequence, are discharged from the machine in piles or stacks ready for storage or packing and shipment or other disposition. The invention comtemplates the complete production of such tags from stock which is supplied in strip form, including the application of eyelets and reinforcement for the eyelets, the printing of the tags and their perforation if desired as well as the severing of the stock to produce units of single tags or of a plurality of tags as may be desired. We are aware that machines have been devised heretofore for performing certain of the steps incidental to the operation of our improved machine, but we are not aware that any machine has heretofore been devised capable of performing the complete sequence of acts last mentioned. Furthermore, we are not advised that any machine has heretofore been produced capable of carrying on the several steps or any of them incidental to the manufacture and printing of tags, that is, any machine operating rotatively. We are aware that certain of the steps have heretofore been carried on by the use of reciprocating machine members and elements, and these, as stated, only for performing certain of the functions but not all 0r any material-number of same.

- In accordance with the present invention, the machine as a single unit, is capable of long continued operation for the utilization of stock and material fed to it as the several steps of manufacturing and printing take place, and the machine is entirely automatic in operation, finally delivering the finished and printed tags in groups, which are stacked up uniformily sov as to be capable of packing in compact form. y

The invention is not concerned in many of the details and parts of a machine, embodying the invention, but contemplates broadly the combinations and sub-combinations of parts and features, which parts and features as to their particular nature may be widely varied without departing from the general spirit and principles of the invention. In certain respects, invention resides in parts and sub-combinations which will be clearly described in the discussion of the general construction and operation of the machine, all as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, and then finally pointed out in claims.

The invention has for further objects the provision of a machine of thecharacter stated which will be relatively simple and inexpensive in construction when these factors are taken into consideration with positiveness in operation, capability of long continued operation without need of repair yor replacement, durability, andgeneral efficiency and serviceability.` A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated which will be exceedingly rapid in operationand capable of turning out a large quantity offinished and printed tags in a given time period.

The invention consists in the novel and useful provision, construction, combination, relative arrangement, inter-relation and association of parts, members, features and elements, as well as the mode of operation of the same, all as developed in the specication and depicted in the drawing.

In the drawings: y l

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a tag making and printing machine constructed in accordance with the invention, certain of the parts being shown in full;

Figure 2 is a substantially similar longitudinal vertical sectional view of the machine shown diagrammatically in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view of the print- 1n ofgthe machine, shown in Figures 1 and 2;

VFigure 4; is a view similar to Figure 3, of the tag perforating and reinforcement applying members of the machine, together numbering and perforating membersk with eyelet applying member of the inachine, and incidental features of the machine, shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation, partially diagrammatic and partially in section, of the tag accumulating and stacking members of the machine shown in Figures l and 2, upon an enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view u'pon ya large scale taken upon the line :r6-m",

' Figure 2, looking in the direction of the accompanying arrows;

-Figure 7i is an enlarged detail sectional view, particularly in elevation, taken upon the line @f mQFigure Ll, parts beingbrolren yaway for clearness of illustration;

Figure 8, a detail longitudinal sectional view taken upon the line frs-:08, Figure 7, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows. Y

Figure 9 isa similar view taken upon the 'Y which show F igurelO is a view similar to Figure 4, the eyelet supply and application means being omitted; and

Figure l1 is a detail view of a unit of four tags such as produced, printed, perforated,

and provided with reinforcements and eyelets, in the operation of the machine shown in the other figures, and which unit group of tags is discharged from the accumulator to the stacker at the right end of Figures l and 2.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters. Referring Vparticularly to the drawings,

one form of the machine consti- Y tuting the invention, from which form, as

stated, many departures Vmay be made in variation of construction, in adapting the Vmachine to varying conditions in kinds and use of service, A designates a main frame which accommodates and supports the several leading elementsv and members of the machine, and their subsidiary features and Y agents, such members and elements inthe main, reading-from the left to right, of Figures l and 2, comprising .a feed roll B of tag Vstoclr in strip form, an impression cylinder C about Awhich such stock is passed, printing meansD and E respectively by which various impressions orV imprints may be made upon the .tag stock as it traverses the impression cylinder numbering means F whereby the tag stock maybe successively numbered Vin the portions thereof, which eventuallyY constitute separate ordistinct tags a, perforating means G operating to produce a line or series of perforations upon each tag portion of thestock, a secondary impression cylinder Hy with which cooperates reverse side printing means K for imprinting or impressing the reverse face of the stock at its several portions which become utimately Y separate or distinct tags,

feed means Ll and M consisting of rolls for feeding re-inforcement material in strip form to the main tag stock, meansN for apply-ing the reinforcements taken from the means L and M to the main tag stock, and for punchingV orV severingsuch reinforcement units as detailed by the means L andM, means O for feeding eyelets to a main tag stock, means F for punching the main tag stoclr and its reinforcements and applying Vthe eyelets supplied by the means U, trimming and perforating (if desired) rolls or means Q, means R -for severing the tag units or groups of units such as shown in Figure ll afterV their impression, means S for receiving Vand accumulating such severed tags or groups of tags or tag unit-s, v

and a stacker T to which such units or tag units are delivered intermittently from the accumulator S, and to which stacirer such tag or tag units are fed in vgroups reversed Y end for end to thereof.

The tag stock fed by the feed roll B is `insure an even stacking designated generally as b. The reinforcement 'stoclr is designated c as to the stoclr feed to the upper face of the tag stock Z) and d as to the stock feed from the roll lvl .to the lower or reverse side of the tag stoclr'b. V designates main drive shaft from which power is talren for the operation of the several (members and features of the machine in any idler rolls are utilized in the printing means and other elements, as indicated in the drawing, and to which special reference will not Y be made inasmuch as they also are not concerned inthe invention and variation may be made in these respects as desired r as may be found preferable.

The impression cylinder c rotates upon a suitable transverse shaft l2, and is driven byV a train of spur gears 13 and lil, and meshing niiter gears l5 from the drive shaft V, the power being ultimately applied to such impression cylinder through an idler 16. The printing means l) and the printing V means E each comprise inlr fountains l? having a piclr-up roll 18 froin'which the inlr is transferred through distributing rolls auf1 the like to printing cylinders 19 byv which impression is directly made upon' lthe tag stock as it passes over the impression cylinder C. Likewise, intermediate ofthe Zones of operation of the printing cylinders 19, the numbering means F operates upon the stoclr illi- D and E are shown in Figure 11. Thence.

the stock b passes to the reverse printing means K which includes similarly an ink fountain 23 and a train of distributing rolls and the like which convey the ink to the printing cylinder 24 which co-operates with the yreverse impression cylinder H, producing suitable impressions upon the reverse side of each portion of the stock b which ult timately becomes a separate or distinct tag. If desired, the perforatingk means Gr may be dispensed with, and the trimming roll (el may be utilized both to trim the 'tags or tag units at their ends and also to per form the perforation, these details not being brought out in full showing in the drawings as being obviousand subject to selection as desired or preferred.y

The stock b printed upon both sides and numbered and perforated if desired, now passes to the means N for applying reinforcements at both sides of the stock b, such reinforcements being produced from the stock c and cl, fed respectively about suitable guide rolls and contact with the stock bV above and beneath the same. In order to apply the reinforcements and sever the reinforcement discs from the stock c and d, we

y employ upper and lower transfer cylinders 25 and 26 with which co-operate punching cylinders 27 and 28, having spring pressed radially operating punches 29 which register with hollowT dies 30, sunk into the transfer rolls 25 and 26, such hollow dies communicating with ducts 31 produced lengthwise of the transfer rolls 25 and 26 and communieating in a series by means of an annular,

duct32, such annular duct being supplied by an inlet compressed air tube 33 which enters at one end an'air chamber 35` rota.-`

tively received within a suitable annular ,chamber in the periphery of the respective roll 25 or 26. lVith one of the longitudinal ducts 31 communicates a vacuum chamber 36 from which a vacuum pipe 37' leads to a suitable pump or vacuum unit. 34 designates an interrupted annular curve formed in the roll-25 or 26 and which directly communicates with all of the ducts 31. The

ducts 31 successively communicate with the interrupted annular duct 32,which is formed between and spaced from the ends of the duct 34. It results that, as the punch cylinders 27 and 28 operate to sever buttons or discs of reinforcement material from the stock c a-nd cZ, the same are caused temporarily to adhere to the transfer rolls 25 and 26, due to thesuction influence exerted b-y the air withdrawn from the air chamber 36 through the suction pipe 37, and which suction is effective upon three of the ducts 31 at all times. The fourth of such ducts 31 is affected by the compressed air directed to it from the air chamber 35, and this takes place as to each duct when its respective hollow die is brought into registration with the tag stock b. As the transfer rolls 25 and 26 rotate in the respective directions indicated by the adjacent arrows in Figures 4 f and 10, with their picked up and temporarily retained reinforcement discs or buttons, they roller 40, one for each cylinder 39, each suchy pick-up roller being immersed in a glue fountain 41. The printed, numbered reinforced stoclr b now passes beneath a suitable compensating device e if desired, and around an idler roll f, and thence between two rolls 42 and 43, comprised within the means P for punching the stool; and the reinforcements thereon and applying eyelets to the same. These eyelets are initially provided within an eyelet reservoir 44 having a rotated brush feed device 45, which serves to successively direct metal eyelets through a duct 46, down flat faced on to the stock Z) or an upper reinforcement disc or button thereon.

Immediately such eyelet is seized and brought with the registering reinforcement buttons between the roll 42 and 43, whereupon peripherally projecting punches `47 upon the roller 42 punch through the eyelets and the registering reinforcement discs and the stock b, e-yelet after eyelet, the roller 43 having dies 48 limiting the thrust of the eyelet by such punches, and serving yto upset and rivet over the metal of the eyelets and firmly bind them in place. An idler roll 49 and a tension roll 50 may be employed for causing a proper feed to the trimming rolls Q, so that the stock b, organized as described up to this point, shall properly register with said rolls. These cylinders51 and 52 serve to trim the tags or tag groups at their ends and may perforate the same if desired, as l previously mentioned. The trimmed stock as organized now passes to the means R for severing the stock as organizedy into the tags or tag groups. These means comprise a cylinder 53 which is provided with a plurality of transverse knives 54, certain of whichmay bey of a limited length so as to but partially sever the stock between tags of a given group, as shown in knife or cutter bar 55, the cylinder tion'76a of the shaft 75 and Figure l1, while the remaining knife may be of full width to entirely sever the organe ized stock and cut from it the group of four or other number of tags shown in Figure il. Such knives co-operate with a stationary 53 being disposed above the stock and the bar or knife 55 being disposed beneath it. The severed tags or tag group, now complete, may be delivered from the machine at this point, or may be passed to the accumulator comprising an endless belt or conveyor 56, trained about suitable rolls 57, one of which is a driven roll fast upon transverse shaft 58, to

which is applied a loose clutch member 59 col-operating with'a splined clutch member 60, operating lengthwise of the shaft 58, in-

termittently, by a rocker arm 6l, one limb of which is actuated by a cam 62 upon a drive Vshaft 63 operated through a train of gears 64C, 65, 66 and 67, taking power from the main drive shaft V. The clutch member 59 receives its drive through a train of gears 68, 69, 70, which train of gears is driven through a miter gear 7l from the main drive shaft V. Thus, the accumulator endless belt 56 is vgiven an intermittent movement, serving to discharge from it each stack of a predetermined number of tags or tag groups, which are temporarily kept in place by a tension roller 7 2, such discharge taking place on to the stacker member T. This member consists of an inclined rotatable table 73, upon which the stacked tags or tag groups are retained by the co-operation of an inclined wall 74. After each period of advancement of the accumulator belt 56 the standard or central support shaft 75 of the rotating table 73 is given a half rotation in a bar 76 threaded to receive a threaded porwhich half rotation is produced by a gear 77 loose from the shaft 75 and adapted to co-operate with a splined clutch member 78 normally retained out of engagement with the clutch gear 77 by a Vcam 79 at one end of the shaft 63 above mentioned. The clutch gear 77 is rotated by a worm gear 80 which is driven by meshing miter gears 8l, one of which is on the shaft V.

Tt is notbelieved that any separate definition of the mode of operation of the machine will be required in order to make clear the performance and action of the mechanism, inasmuch as there has been hereinabove defined the performance of each mem- Vber or feature of the machine, and the seseparate tags or groups of tags and then initially stacked up upon the accumulator S and finally stacked up upon the stacker T, with the groups of' tags or tag groups arranged upon the stacker with the eyeletted ends staggered so that the final pile of stacked tags or tag groups is evenly built up and may be packed or stored away in even formation.

The entire operation is automatic and without a halt, and the tags or tag groups are turned out with great rapidity and of uniform formation and perfection and with such variations of perforation, imprinting and numbering as may be desired. Obviously, any of the several means for printing, numbering, and perforating, may be thrown out of operation as desired, as may also the eyeletting means P so that tags of various deo-rees of completion or of various nature, when completed, may be produced upon the same machine by obvious and simple ad]ust ments.

Having thus disclosed myv invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: Y

l. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising means for feeding tag stock, mea-ns for applying reinforcement material thereto at spaced points, means for puncturing the tag stock through the spaced reinforcement material, means for trimming the tag stock, and means for severing the tag stock into separate'tag formations; means likewise being provided for applyin eyelets to the tag stock at the reinforce portion thereof.

2. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising means for feeding tag stock, means for applying reinforcement material thereto at spaced points, means for puncturing the tag stock through the spaced reinforcement material, means for trimming the tag stock, and means for severing the tag stock intol separate tag formations; means likewise being provided for applying duplicate reinforcements to the tag stock in registration with the first men-V tioned reinforcements, means further-being provided for applyig eyelets to the tag stock in registration with the first mentioned and duplicate reinforcements and for puncturing such duplicate reinforcements.

3. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising means for feeding tag stock, means for applying reinforcement material thereto at spaced points, means for puncturing the tagl st ck through the spaced reinforcement material, means for trimming the tag stock, and means for severing the tag stock into separate tag formations; means likewise being provided for app-lying eyelets to the tag stock at the reinforced portions thereof; each of said means including likewise being provided for applying du-v plicate reinforcements to the tag stock in registration with the first mentioned reinforcements; means further being vprovided for applying eyelets to the tag stock in.

registration with the first mentioned and duplicate reinforcements and for puncturing such duplicate reinforcements; each of said means including a rotative member whereby the stock is subjected to successive action of rotative means.

5. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock, means for applying eyelets thereto at spaced points, and cylinders between which the tag stock passes with the eyelets successively applied thereto, said cylinders being provided one with a die and the other with a punch for punching through ta stock in registration with the eyelet and flnr upsetting the material of the eyelet to clinch it to the tag stock.

6. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock, means for applying eyelets thereto at spaced points, and cylinders between which the tag stock passes with the eyelets successively applied thereto, said cylinders being provided one with a die and the other with a punch for punching through tag stock in registration with the eyelet and for upsetting the material of the eyelet to clinch it to the tag stock; means, first being provided for applying reinforcement material to the tag stock at spaced points in registration with which the eyelets are applied to the tag stock, the punching of the tag stock being likewise produced through the reinforcement material. i

7 In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock and means for applying reinforcement material to the same; said latter means comprising two cooperating cylinders which are jointly provided withy means for applying reinforcement material to the tag stock, one of said cylinders being provided with means for temporarily retaining the reinforcement material thereon and transferring the same to the tag stock.

8. In a machine of the character dis-i closed, means for feeding tag stock and means for applying reinforcement material to the same; said latter means comprising two cooperating cylinders which are jointly provided with means for applying reinforcement material to the tag stock, one of said cylinders being provided with means for temporarily retaining the reinforcement material thereon and transferring the same to the tag stock; means likewise being provided for supplying reinforcement material between said cylinders.

9. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock and means for applying reinforcement material to the same; said latter means comprising two cooperating cylinders which are jointly provided with means for applying reinforcement material to the tag stock, one o said cylinders being provided with means for temporarily retaining the reinforcement material thereon and transferring the same to the tag stock; means likewise being provided for supplying reinforcement material between said cylinders, said cylinders being provided with further means for severing portions of said reinforcement material for transference to said tag stock.

10. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock and means for applying reinforcement material to the same; said latter means comprising two cooperating cylinders which are jointly provided with means for applying reinforcement material to the tag stock, one of said cylinders being provided with means for temporarily retaining the reinforcement material thereon and transferring the same to the tag stock; one of said cylinders being provided with air ducts leading through the periphery thereof and at the outlets of which said reinforcement material is ap plied to such cylinder, further means being provided for producing suction within one of said air ducts and pressure within another thereof.

11. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding tag stock and means for applying reinforcement material to the same; said latter means comprising two cooperating cylinders which are jointly provided with means for applying yrein- .forcement material to the tag stock, one of said cylinders being provided with means for temporarily retaining the reinforcement material thereon and transferring the same to the tag stock; means being further provided for applying adhesive material to the reinforcement material prior to the application thereof to the tag stock.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL A. MONSON. HARRY GEARING.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND Ivns BLAKESLEE, J. SHo'rr. 

